Crafting a Green World

I worry about the art and craft supplies my kids use much more than what I use, even though I try to keep my own supplies as safe as possible. But when it comes to my kids I want to know their stuff isn’t full of toxins.

Clementine Art feels the same way that’s why they have created a line of safe art and craft products with kids in mind.

Clementine Art has safe markers, natural glue, natural soy crayon rocks, soy crayons (that are shaped for little hands to hold), really safe finger paints, and natural modeling dough. Read the rest of this entry »

The weather is getting colder, and we have a handmade holiday on our minds! Handmade gifts have heart, are better for the environment, and, if you opt to buy, it supports independent artists!

If you want to have a totally handmade holiday, now is the time to get started. Over the next couple of months, we’ll be posting about recycled gifts and giftwrap you can make yourself and great handmade finds for sale!

To get things started, check out Sheryl of Twisted Limb Paperworks’ awesome video tutorial for making your own gift tags from last year’s Christmas cards:
Read the rest of this entry »

According to Gift Bags Gone Green every year Americans spend more than $5 billion dollars on gift wrap, bags, and tissue paper of which the majority ends up in landfills.

To offer a unique and green approach to the gift wrap industry Gift Bags Gone Green have created fun and funky fabric gift bags that are washable and reusable. The bags are not only green because they are reusable but they are made from upcycled, reused, and vintage fabrics. Read the rest of this entry »

After all the Halloween craftiness I created from tossed trash last year I am trying to figure out new things to create this year.

I grabbed an ice pail and painted it orange and black for Halloween. I want to find some crafty Halloween paper designs to cut out to decoupage to the pail to dress it up a little more.

I was thinking about wrapping it in scrap book paper but I had no Halloween colors or styles. But I think it turned out pretty good considering it started out as a plain white pail headed for the recycling bin. I would love to make a Halloween bucket with paper like I did when I turned an ice cream pail into a flower girl basket for a wedding. Read the rest of this entry »

Empty cardboard toilet paper rolls are one thing that everyone seems to have.

My kids love to play with them to make binoculars and all sorts of fun playthings.

I have found several creative ways to transform toilet paper rolls. Favor boxes for special occasions and parties are one way to put them to good use.

Anyone can easily take empty rolls and turn them into fun party favors, especially for Halloween. Read the rest of this entry »

From the creator of the BOBO wrapping scarf comes the new book The Wrapping Scarf Revolution (Leisure Arts #4833).

If you have ever checked out BOBO wraps but were too intimidated to buy one because of the complex wrapping then this book is for you- filled with step by step detailed instructions to help you wrap these beautiful scarves.

Read the rest of this entry »

Soap boxes (from bath size bars of soap) can easily be transformed into fun little gift boxes. These soap boxes are small and cute and can easily be made by anyone, even the youngest children. They can be customized for any occasion.

Kids can easily decorate them with stickers, scraps of old wrapping paper, cutouts from old greeting cards, foam shapes or anything on hand in the craft box.

The boxes can be decorated in so many ways and are the perfect size for gift cards. Stuff the box full of tissue and slide the gift card in, that way the receiver still gets to open a gift not just a card. Plus the hand decorated box makes it so much more personal. Read the rest of this entry »

Even more than a celebration of our nation’s birth (which I could take or leave, frankly), in our town, at least Independence Day is a celebration of our community culture. Between the fish fry, the farmer’s market, the Fourth of July parade, and the fireworks, I’ve got plenty of opportunities to show off my craftiness as well as my festive spirit.

The best crafts, in my opinion, are thematically appropriate (red, white, and blue, you know) without being too slavish (the flag isn’t for wearing, my friends) or too country (denim is best if it’s ironic).

And, of course, the best project has to be eco-friendly–what’s up with craft foam, anyway? It’s like wool felt for anti-environmentalists(not that I’m automatically a fan of wool felt, mind you–it comes from sheep).

Anyway, here are five 4th of July projects that satisfy my own discerning tastes AND are quite able to be completed by the big day. Fireworks away! Read the rest of this entry »

I know, I know–most of these holidays are just ploys by greeting card companies to get us to buy stuff. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day–it’s a plot by Hallmark to get me to spend my hard-earned money on a bunch of nonsense.

I have two little kids, though, and a loving partner. There’s no WAY I’m giving up the glory of Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, and heck, I’ll do my part on Father’s Day, too. And it is nice to have a sanctioned event handy to remind us to honor and celebrate our loved ones, to demonstrate our gratitude and appreciation of them. Especially when we’re honoring mothers. As in me.

Everyone in my family knows, though, that I only like gifts that are 1) handmade, 2) food (especially if it’s also homemade), 3) camera stuff, or 4) craft supplies. And nobody hardly ever gets me camera stuff.

So here’s a list of five nifty, crafty, handmade gifts that you can make in plenty of time for Mother’s Day. Just in case, you know, you don’t have a good camera store near you: Read the rest of this entry »

Or newspaper. Or sheet music. Or parchment paper. Or wrapping paper. Or napkins. Or old scrapbook paper. Or crinkled aluminum foil. Or pre-colored coloring book pages.

Anything that you can cut a heart out of or paint a heart on, you can make into a Valentine.

Make your Valentine out of yarn. Or twine. Or twigs. Or hair. Or selvage. Or dried beans. Or dirt. Or ribbon. Or chain. Read the rest of this entry »